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Label-free optical surgical guidance during endocrine surgery

The PTeye is a label-free, intraoperative optical device that uses near-infrared autofluorescence to confirm the real-time identification of parathyroid glands during surgery. Developed without venture capital, it exemplifies how academic–industry collaboration can bring light-based technologies to the clinic.

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Fig. 1: Near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) device development timeline.

References

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Authors

Contributions

A.G.C. was responsible for writing the manuscript. A.M.-J. was responsible for the overall layout, planning and editing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Anita Mahadevan-Jansen.

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Competing interests

A.G.C. and A.M.-J. are affiliated with Vanderbilt University, which has a licensing agreement for PTeye with AiBiomed (now officially acquired by Medtronic).

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Related links

International Society of Innovative Technologies in Endocrine Surgery (ISITES): https://isitesurgery.org/

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Cousart, A.G., Mahadevan-Jansen, A. Label-free optical surgical guidance during endocrine surgery. Nat Rev Bioeng 3, 813–814 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-025-00353-y

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